


Nightcall

by BloodInTheFields



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-07 10:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3171740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodInTheFields/pseuds/BloodInTheFields
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A life for a life. We're even now. Please don't punch me this time." Takes place after the end of 3x11.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before 3x12 aired, so this story diverges from the show. It's posted completely on fanfiction.net.

Hersh keeps referring to her as “Ma’am”. Shaw doesn’t know the woman at all; to her it’s always been an entire organization, Control. So for now, she thinks she’ll stick to calling her Diane.

 

Diane has her three guards escorting Shaw outside while she remains inside with Finch, Arthur and Hersh. Shaw doesn’t like this. She hates feeling helpless but right now, that’s exactly how she feels. There is nothing she can do because the men are holding her at gunpoint but are not close enough for her to grab one of them without getting shot in the process. She keeps looking at them alternatively, searching for a flaw in their posture, anything that could offer an advantage, an exit. But they are trained agents, they know what to do and what to avoid. Hersh probably briefed them on her. Surely they know who she is. The agent turned rogue. Control probably omitted to mention that they tried to have her killed.

 

Shaw goes very still suddenly. There is no escape. She needs to focus on something else. Harold is in there, she thinks. If anything, she has to get him out alive, even if _she_ doesn’t make it herself. Harold has to. The Machine needs him. John needs him. So she focuses her attention on the door behind the man blocking her way and she listens. Her body is trembling imperceptibly with tension. She can barely make out a few words.

 

Samaritan. No idea. Does not exist. Better tell me.

 

Hersh apparently doesn’t say a word. Shaw doesn’t hear his voice. But he was never much of a talker anyway.

 

_“You were a good operative. Sorry Shaw.”_

 

She remembers his words. That’s the last time she felt helpless. She owes Finch and Reese her life. She knows that.

 

Suddenly, the door opens and Hersh appears. His eyes pierce through her and for a fleeting moment, she thinks she can read something on his usually expressionless face. But she blinks, and it’s gone. Arthur follows, his head hanging low. Behind him, Finch. Their eyes meet, and he’s strangely calm and collected. But then again, Shaw has rarely seen him lose his façade. Diane is the last to exit the room, her gun still in her hand, pointing at Harold’s back. Shaw grits her teeth. She knows it’s the end for her. There will not be enough space in the car for all of them. She is not getting out of the motel.

 

“Get inside. Move,” one of the men says to her.

 

She glances one last time at the retreating group, but Finch doesn’t even look back. She knows that he knows she’s as good as dead. She knows how he feels. Guilty.

 

 _It’s alright Harold_ , she thinks. _That’s how it was supposed to be. Some things you can’t change._

 

At least now that he’s gone, she’s free to try something without fearing that Diane shoots him. The third man closes the door behind them but doesn’t lock it. Her instincts of survival kick in and she starts talking:

 

“Three men in a hotel room, just for me. Can’t remember the last time _that_ happened.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh come on, I’m about to die, the least you could do is offer some comfort or conversation.”

 

Shaw wonders why she is not even panicking and then remembers that she is a trained killer. She can get out of this. She can find a way. She just needs time to figure out a plan. One of the men—the one who was restraining her earlier—holsters his gun and exits the room for a minute. Shaw remains silent. The other two guards don’t even blink. Where has he gone?

 

Her silent question is answered rather quickly as the man comes back holding something. A canvas sheet, she realizes. They’re going to kill her, wrap her body in this and probably throw her in the ocean or something. Maybe burn her body or dissolve it into hydrofluoric acid. Shaw shakes her head slightly as she remembers that they are on the tenth floor, which means that she can’t even throw herself out of the window and take her chances. The man has spread the canvas sheet on the floor and he motions for her to step on it.

 

“Oh I’m probably not going to make this easy for you boys. You want me standing there? Make me,” she says with a smirk.

 

If one gets close enough, then maybe…

 

But then, before she can even understand what is happening, the three men drop on the ground, one by one, dead. Shaw barely registers the blood that has splattered on her face and clothes. Her reaction is immediate. She drops to the ground and rolls toward the nearest man and grabs his gun. No need to check his pulse; the bullet has gone straight through his skull, just like the two others.

 

There are three bullet holes in the door and suddenly, the door breaks down, revealing the person standing behind it. The person who just saved her life.

 

Root. Root with a 9mm silencer in her hand and that half-smile that Shaw hates plastered on her face. The woman steps inside the room and inspects her work briefly before turning to Shaw, who is still staring at her incredulously.

 

“A life for a life. We’re even now. Please don’t punch me this time.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

_“A life for a life. We’re even now. Please don’t punch me this time.”_

 

Root is by the door in a second, visibly waiting for Shaw to join her.

 

“Come on, we still have a lot to do.”

 

There’s a glint in the woman’s eyes that Shaw can’t quite identify, but it makes her shiver. Somehow, it seems like Root enjoys the situation. As if she thrives on the action, which Shaw normally does but not tonight. Tonight the stakes are too high. She gestures at the bodies on the floor and asks what they are supposed to do with them. Root just shrugs.

 

“She didn’t say.”

 

 _Again with the “she”_ , Shaw thinks.

 

Quickly, she puts the gun that she picked up from one of the men in her boot and searches for her own. Then she follows Root out of the room. The other woman is already at the corner of the hallway and forces Shaw to jog to catch up with her.

 

“How did you get out of the cage? And how could you be here so quickly?”

“Details, details. Let’s focus on what’s important.”

 

Root barely finishes her sentence before Shaw flattens her against the nearest wall, her gun pressing under her chin. Not even remotely frightened, Root smiles.

 

“You do realize that if you wanted to kill me, she would have warned me, right?”

 

It only serves to anger Shaw more. How does this woman know which buttons to push? Reluctantly, she loosens her grip and finally steps back.

 

“Just…  Tell me where I can find Reese and we’ll take it from here.”

“I’m afraid your friend won’t be able to help you this time.”

“Why?” Shaw asks as they keep walking at a brisk pace even though she has no idea where they are going.

“Because he’s too busy being locked up in Colorado with Lionel.”

“What?!”

“Let’s just say that I am your only chance to get to Harold in time.”

 

It is a lot to process at once. John and Lionel, in a cell in Colorado? A few minutes later, they reach the exit and Root leads Shaw to a car parked nearby. Shaw recognizes the car that she drove when she helped Root on her mission a couple of months ago. Root takes the wheel and Shaw does not even think about protesting.

 

“You should clean yourself up; we don’t want you to scare people,” Root says simply.

 

It makes Shaw realize that her face and clothes are still stained with blood.

 

“There are clothes on the backseat. You’ll find some tissues in the glove compartment.”

“Clothes. They fit me?”

 

Root doesn’t even bother to answer. Instead, she merely smiles.

 

“Of course they do,” Shaw mumbles.

 

She strips quickly, unashamedly, in front of Root and she does not even care if the other woman takes a look or not. She’s never been one for modesty. She grabs the clean outfit waiting on the backseat and put it on, then uses tissues to wipe her face.

 

“Much better,” Root states with an appreciative look.

 

Maybe she was watching after all. Shaw gives Root her best glare.

 

“Why did you kill them?”

“They were going to kill you.”

“I mean, we usually don’t kill people. We shot those Russians in the knees.”

“I didn’t want them to be able to call their boss. It will give us some more time.”

 

It makes sense, so the ex-government operative doesn’t ask further questions. Except for one:

 

“Seriously, how did you get out? This cage… I thought Finch kept it locked at all times.”

“He did,” Root confirms.

“So what, did you—pick the lock or something?”

“Exactly.”

 

Shaw snorts, because the idea is ridiculous. Then she realizes that her companion is absolutely serious and she frowns.

 

“Finch would never be so careless.”

“He wanted me out. Maybe he didn’t do it consciously, but why else would he only put one lock on this cell?”

 

The silence that follows is not uncomfortable. Both women try to prepare themselves mentally for what is to come. Obviously it’s going to be just the two of them to the rescue. Root stops the car in a dark alley.

 

“Here? Finch is here?”

“I don’t know yet. But she told me to stop here,” Root replies calmly as she exits the vehicle.

 

Shaw follows immediately.

 

__

 

“They didn’t come here,” Shaw states.

 

The warehouse is empty. Judging by the rusted lock that she’s had to break to enter, no one’s been here in a while. The two women draw their gun and carefully look around. Then, suddenly, Root walks decidedly toward one of the walls and opens a door that Shaw had not even noticed. However, when she looks up, she sees the camera in the corner.

 

“You should come and take a look,” Root calls.

 

In the small, concealed room, there is a table. And on this table, guns. Lots of them. Shaw smiles like it is Christmas day and she just discovered her presents under the tree. She lets out a low whistle and takes a service pistol in her hands.

 

“That is some serious military equipment. Where are we?”

“She just said it’s been abandoned for a while. It was probably some sort of black market.”

 

Shaw examines several of the firearms and nods at times. Root watches her in silence. It’s fascinating how the ex-government agent moves and handles the guns. Finally Shaw stops and looks back at her.

 

“Okay, let’s take it all. We don’t know what we’re up against. Any news on Reese?”

“They are out of jail. They should be on their way back now. But they’re still going to be too late.”

“And Finch?”

“Still alive.”

“But where is he?”

 

Her question is met with silence and Shaw frowns.

 

“You don’t know. The Machine doesn’t want to tell you?”

“She… She doesn’t know.”

“How is that possible?”

“They must be avoiding the cameras. They must have a plan.”

 

For the first time since their first encounter, Shaw sees distress in Root’s eyes.

 

“They’ve established a route. If the Machine doesn’t know, it means they have no GPS, no cellphones, nothing. They know exactly where they’re going.”

 

She searches her memory, hoping that she’ll remember a detail from her past, any information that could be of help.

 

“If they think I’m dead… They don’t expect me to come after them. They’ll take Finch in one of our secret locations. Very few agents are aware of their existence. It’s generally underground. They’re going to take Harold underground to question him.”

“It’s impossible for them to make it anywhere without being seen. She has eyes and ears everywhere.”

 

Realization dawns on Shaw’s face.

 

“The sewers. They’re in the sewers.”


	3. Chapter 3

Harold doesn’t turn back to look at Shaw when they leave the hotel room. He can’t bring himself to do so. She is going to die and it’s his fault. The woman holding the gun forces him and Arthur to climb into the backseat of a car and the henchman, Hersh, sits in the driver’s seat. Diane—the fake Diane—has a smirk on her face and Finch does his best to remain stoic. Arthur is panicking, it’s obvious. But the woman almost doesn’t pay attention to him. Clearly she’s more intrigued by Finch.

 

“I will know who you are. Even if I have to beat it out of you. Of course, I won’t do that myself. Hersh here will be the one taking care of you.”

“You want to know who I am. Why does it matter?” Finch questions.

“I’d like to know who I’m dealing with.”

“Likewise.”

 

He can tell that her smile is tense and that she is irritated that he dared talk back to her. The rest of the ride is silent, until Hersh turns into a dark alley where several black cars are waiting. No license plates. They are government cars. Finch shares a look with Arthur and sees the fear in his friend’s eyes.

 

“Time to go.”

 

__

 

“Where do we start? They could be anywhere.”

“We start by going back to the Library. The car Finch and I came with was gone, which means they took it. The Machine has eyes everywhere, you said so yourself. Obviously she— _it_ saw where they were headed.”

 

Root smiles at Shaw’s slip-up but the agent keeps talking as if it hasn’t happened.

 

“I need to see exactly where they went and where they ditched the car. I know how they operate.”

 

She feels more confident now that she’s in control and not simply following Root. This, she knows how to do. Tracking people. She’s been trained for it. They have a slight advantage; the enemy doesn’t know that she’s still alive. It also means that they don’t have any time to lose. She finishes putting all the firearms in the sports bags that were lying on the floor and hands one to the other woman.

 

“Careful. It’s heavy.”

 

She takes the other two and heads back to the car. Behind her, Root follows. They dump the bags in the trunk and Shaw takes the wheel this time. They make it back to the Library in less than twenty minutes.

 

__

 

As soon as Finch understands that they are going to use the sewers, he starts to lose his calm and his confidence that somehow Reese is going to come to the rescue. Because even if he does, which is highly unlikely, he would never find him _down there_. The woman is gone for now but she promised that they would meet again very soon. It does not bode well for either Arthur or himself. And Finch can’t help wondering about this second Machine. Samaritan. It was working; Arthur had said he had been only weeks away from making it work. Was it still out there, somewhere?

 

The sewers are disgusting and he has to keep himself from gagging. Arthur has a similar reaction but Hersh seems totally unfazed. Finch can’t imagine what this man has seen or what he’s been through. His eyes reflect nothing. They are not even cold, they’re just empty and somehow it only makes it worse.

 

“You do realize that our ultimate goal is the same, don’t you?” Harold asks him.

“Keep walking,” the man replies sternly.

“I must admit that it was a clever move that you did. That fake ID you provided for your boss—I suppose that’s who she is—that ID seemed absolutely real.”

 

Hersh still doesn’t say a word. There is another operative with them, a man visibly trained to not ask any questions and who probably has no idea who they are or what they are doing here. Hersh is leading the way and they follow in line behind him, Harold first.

 

“You’re making a mistake, I can assure you,” Harold tries once more.

 

But no reply comes and he just keeps walking, defeated.

 

__

 

Bear is happy to see them and it makes Shaw frown. Since when does he like Root, too? As if she can read her mind, Root kneels on the ground and the dog sits in front of her and lets her pet his fur. Shaw watches them for five seconds before shaking her head in disbelief and walking toward Finch’s computer.

 

“Show me what I want to see,” she asks, feeling stupid for talking to no one.

 

But the Machine is listening and suddenly the dark screen becomes alive with images of security cameras. Shaw retrieves a map of the city on the shelves behind her and spread it on the table, just as Root walks in followed by Bear.

 

“Alright, so a little over an hour ago they left the hotel and went north. The camera can trace back their route up until this point here, which is north-east of the city. Then they disappeared in this alley. No camera there.”

 

They both watch the screen in silence and Shaw has to rewind several times to make sure she doesn’t miss any details.

 

“Then they leave the alley barely five minutes later. There are several cars.”

“Five cars; and none of them is the one they left the hotel with.”

 

Root looks at Shaw expectantly. The ex-Marine keeps her eyes on the screen and Root can almost see the wheels turning in her head.

 

“This one,” Shaw says suddenly as she points to a car on the screen. “This is the one.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s always the penultimate. Things you learn while working for the government. Now we just need the Machine to tell us where the car stopped.”

 

Immediately, the screen changes and a single image of a black SUV appears for a few seconds before it’s no longer in sight.

 

“So they turned left here. There must be an entrance to the sewer nearby. Wait. What…”

 

On the screen, the SUV has reappeared and the two women watch as it drives away. Shaw frowns. Was there another person in the car to bring it back somewhere? A while later, the car enters an underground parking and everything is dark after that. Someone shot the camera. The screen of the computer goes black.

 

“Well. Let’s check why that car made a pit-stop.”

 

__

 

On their way, Shaw uses Root’s phone to call Reese.  When there is no answer, she hangs up, sighs and tries Fusco’s number. He answers after two rings. Briefly, she explains the situation to him and asks him to bring John back here as fast as humanly possible, in a less polite way. Root would have smiled if she wasn’t so scared for her life. Shaw is driving quite recklessly, not bothering with the traffic laws. She’s more focused on barking orders on the phone and Root almost feels sorry for Lionel who has to listen to her. Finally she hangs up and tosses the phone in Root’s lap.

 

“Where are they?”

“Leaving freaking Colorado.”

“You know that we’re Harold’s only chance. Why did you call them?”

“To make John react,” Shaw confesses after a moment of silence.

“I understand.”

 

Once they arrive at their destination, they exit the car and inspect the alley. Soon enough, Shaw motions for Root to come closer, and under a wood pallet, they discover a manhole.

 

“Ready?” Shaw asks as she uses her upper-body strength to open it.

“As I’ll ever be.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

The sewers are just as expected: disgusting and dark. For once, Shaw does not even bother to hide what she thinks and her reluctance at having to walk in the sewers shows on her face. Root, on the other hand, seems to enjoy her time out of the cage.

 

“How will we know which direction to follow?”

“Just be quiet and let me work,” Shaw answers shortly.

 

Root merely shrugs and waits until the other woman decides which way to go, and then she walks quietly behind her. So quietly in fact that Shaw has to turn back several times to make sure Root is following. Each intersection is a new challenge for Shaw: she observes the muddy ground and sometimes she can spot shoeprints. She notes that there are four different types of prints; all of them belong to men. A bunch of times, they have to backtrack and take the other way because she chose the wrong path when there is nothing to indicate which direction Finch and his captors took. Still, Root says nothing and after a while, it unnerves Shaw. She spins on her heels suddenly and Root, who was walking right behind her, bumps into Shaw.

 

“You realize that I don’t like to have you here, right?”

“Where would you want to have me then?” Root asks with a smirk.

 

Shaw rolls her eyes and turns her back on the hacker.

 

“Let’s keep moving. We’re getting closer.”

“Right behind you, boss.”

 

__

 

Lionel hangs up his phone and turns to face Reese, standing a few feet back. The taller man looks absolutely uninterested in whatever just happened but Fusco knows that this is just a façade. There is no way John missed a single word of the conversation he just had with Shaw. Still, he plays the game and says:

 

“It was Shaw. Control kidnapped your boss. She’s trailing them with the crazy chick, but they need help.”

 

Finally, John looks at him.

 

“Finch is in danger?”

“I’d say! She ripped me a new one _through the damn phone_!”

“Any way we can get back to New-York faster than with a car?”

 

Fusco seems to think about it for a minute and then pulls out his phone.

 

“Let me make a couple of phone calls.”

 

__

 

They reemerge in another dark alley but it doesn’t surprise Finch at all. The black SUV waiting for them is no surprise either. Arthur seems resigned now, accepting his fate. Harold fears that he is going to talk. What could he possibly say to Control? What does he know that Finch does not? And if his information is valuable, what will they do to him? He has no doubt that if he doesn’t give them what they want, they will put a bullet between his eyes and be done with it.

 

Hersh handcuffs them and orders them to sit in the backseat while he takes the wheel. The fourth man is nowhere to be seen. They drive away without him. His clothes reek from the sewers, but Finch already regrets leaving the shadow of underground because it means that they are one step closer to interrogation, torture, and quite possibly death.

 

He does not believe in any god. He believes in science and math and logic. But in that moment, for the first time in as long as he can remember, Harold prays.

 

__

 

After what seems like an eternity, Shaw and Root stumble upon a body at the bottom of a ladder and they know that their trip in the sewers is over. Shaw doesn’t even bother to check the man’s pulse. There is too much blood around him. She finds nothing in his pockets and he has no firearm either. But she knows this type of killing.

 

“He was an agent for the government.”

 

She takes a look at the ladder and thinks aloud:

 

“Hersh goes first. Then Finch or Claypool. Then this guy starts climbing and… Hersh shoots him.”

 

She turns back to face Root who is watching her intently.

 

“You’ve done that before.”

 

It’s not a question. Shaw doesn’t deny it. In fact, she gives no indication that she’s even heard Root. Instead, she starts climbing the ladder carefully, her pistol drawn. When she is sure that the way is clear, she motions for Root to follow her and she even goes as far as to extend her hand to help the other woman to find her balance. Their eyes meet briefly, and Shaw knows that the fire she sees in Root’s matches the one burning inside of her. This is the home stretch. At the end of the night, they know that the chances of them getting out of this alive are close to none. Yet none of them backs out.

 

“We need a car,” Root states.

 

Shaw raises an eyebrow as she understands that Root is not talking to her but asking the Machine. Then she simply follows the woman who is walking confidently toward a car parked nearby. At this hour of the night, there are not many people in this area of town. Shaw spots a camera on the other side of the street, but from where it is, there is no way it can see what happens in this alley. Once they’re seated—Root is driving this time—she asks:

 

“A car left this place a little over an hour ago. I need to know where it went.”

 

She listens carefully, then nods and starts the engine.

 

“Here we go.”

 

__

 

John is restless during the whole ride to the nearest private airport. Fusco turns the radio on only to have it turned off by Reese a few minutes later. The ex-CIA agent stares out the window but his fingers drum endlessly on his thigh and it makes Fusco nervous.

 

“We’ll be there in time. Glasses will find a way to gain us some time. And don’t forget that he has the two psychos hot on his tail. They won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Lionel?”

“Yeah?”

“Just shut up and drive.”

 

__

 

Shaw kicks the passenger door of the black SUV in frustration. They are way out of town now, and they’ve found the car in which Finch and Claypool have likely been in, but it’s empty and they’re in the middle of nowhere. The road is dark and there are no lights on either side. They almost missed the vehicle parked on the right and Root hit the brakes quite violently when they spotted it.

 

“They were in this car. This is a button from Harold’s ugly suit,” Shaw remarks as she holds the button for Root to see.

 

_Where are you, Harold_ , she thinks. _Give me something to help me, anything._

 

“Shaw? We have a new lead,” Root speaks suddenly. “She just spotted Claypool on a rest area twenty-seven miles east from here, through the camera of a kid’s console. They took off in a grey Chevrolet, license plate C-43974.”

“That has to be the best thing I’ve heard coming out of your mouth tonight.”

 

She doesn’t show it but internally, she is relieved. They’re back in the game.


	5. Chapter 5

It’s a miracle that they don’t get arrested by the police given how fast they’re driving now. Shaw wants to get as close as possible to Finch. Luckily, the Chevrolet is equipped with GPS and Hersh probably has no idea that they are following him. He probably thinks he’s ditched anyone who would try to stop him, especially since he believes she is dead. Sometimes Root gives directions to Shaw. The clock is ticking; they both know that every minute counts.

 

“Why are you doing this? Why are you helping us?”

“Because that’s what she wants me to do.”

“But why do you even care? You know that there’s a risk that you will die tonight and yet you’re here, just because an AI asked you to.”

“What greater way to die than in a fight for the greater good? I have a question for you.”

“What?”

“Why are _you_ doing this? What’s in it for you, Sameen?”

 

Shaw’s head turns so violently toward her that Root fears for a second that the woman snapped her own neck. The murderous glare that she sends her way though, is proof that she is very much alive.

 

“What did you call me?”

“Isn’t that your name?”

 

If they weren’t currently on the freeway, Shaw would have hit the brakes and thrown Root out of the car.

 

“No one calls me that anymore. And certainly not you. If you ever dare say that name again I’ll rinse your mouth with bleach.”

“Someone is susceptible.”

“I mean it, Root, shut the fuck up.”

“Fine.”

 

A small smile creeps onto her lips and Shaw sees it from the corner of her eyes. She resists the urge to smash the hacker’s head against the window. _Later_ , she thinks, _when all of this is over we’ll have a discussion_.

 

“Take the next exit. They left the car on a parking lot.”

 

__

 

“Another car? How many do you have?”

“Harold, who are these people?” Arthur asks, in the middle of yet another outbreak.

 

It happened twice so far; this is the third time that he doesn’t remember where he is or who the others are except for Finch. Patiently but with as less details as possible, Harold explains to him that they are being taken to a secret place. There are two men escorting them now, with Hersh leading the way. The ride is short this time, and soon they stop in front of a building owned by a company that Finch has never even heard of. It makes sense though, when Hersh leads him and Arthur towards the elevator and ushers them inside. Instead of pressing the up button, he presses down. They are going underground.

 

__

 

Once Shaw and Root find the Chevrolet, everything goes faster. Shaw takes the map that was on the backseat and spreads it on the hood of the car.

 

“We’re here, somewhere. I know they’re going to take Finch underground. The closest place would be right here,” she adds as she points to a street name on the map for Root to see.

“We’re not that far. It’s next town. What is it?”

“It’s a building. I’ve had training there. Cole… My partner got the plans of all the buildings that we use as cover for governmental activities. I know them all. I spent weeks studying them. I know all the exits, all the ways in and out of more than half of these buildings. They’re pretty similar.”

“So how do we get in?”

“By using the front door. We’ll have no problem getting in. Getting out will be another story.”

“Shouldn’t we have a plan?”

“Would you make a good electrician?”

“I… have some knowledge, yes, why?”

“It might come in handy,” Shaw answers, the ghost of a smile floating on her lips.

 

She can’t really remember the last time she’s had to enter a building under high surveillance but these things are like riding a bike: once you know how to do it, you never forget.

 

“The building will be largely equipped with cameras. It would be nice if your friend could find a way for us to go inside unseen.”

“Surely there’ll be guards at the door,” Root objects.

“We can take care of them. Usually there are no more than two so as to not attract unwanted attention. Unless you’re afraid of a little fight?”

“I am not a fighter. I do well with guns, though.”

“And Tasers,” Shaw adds under her breath.

“And Tasers,” Root repeats proudly.

“Well, the good thing is, they don’t know your face. So you’ll go in first, clear the way for me.”

 

They spend the next ten minutes drawing up a plan and try to envision every possibility. Once Shaw is satisfied and certain that they’ll be able to reach the elevator without anyone underground aware of their presence, they leave the parking lot. They feel restless. The adrenaline is rushing through their veins and having the odds against them only adds fuel to the fire.

 

__

 

Reese cannot sit still in the jet and the frustration that he feels radiates off of his body. It irritates Fusco a lot but he knows better than to say anything. They are thousands of miles away from New York City and they don’t know what is happening there. Shaw is unreachable and the Machine has given them no information, whatever that means. Fusco doesn’t even know what that Machine is, or if it’s a code name for someone. He pulls out his phone from his pocket and dials Shaw’s number once more, to no avail. He sighs loudly. John is staring out of the small window and Fusco can see the storm hiding behind a barely contained façade.

 

“You won’t lose him you know. It’s not like… not like what happened to Carter.”

“People tend to die when you least expect them to.”

“But this Control, whoever the hell that is, they need Finch. Look, I know you don’t want to talk, but could you at least tell me what’s happening with you all? You seem to have some sort of coded talk that just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

 

John’s eyes land on Fusco and they are so dark compared to what the detective is used to that he squirms uncomfortably in his seat.

 

“You really want to know? Because I will tell you. You won’t believe me at first, until you realize that it all makes sense. That everything is connected. You’re going to understand how we operate. But I know you, Lionel. You’re not going to like it. So are you sure you want to know?”

 

__

 

The room is well-lit, which surprises Finch. There is only one chair in the middle and the lack of furniture does _not_ surprise him at all. The handcuffs are gone and he is free to walk around in the room, even though it’s very small. After hours spent sitting in a car, he appreciates to finally be able to walk. The door is locked and the chair is fixed to the floor so that he can’t even place it wherever he wants. Finch has no idea where Arthur is now, although Hersh probably put him in a room just like this one. Harold’s thoughts inevitably go back to the motel where he left Shaw. He hopes that her death was swift and painless. She deserved better than that.

 

Finch doesn’t know how long he waits, pacing in the small room with no window. It might be an hour later when the door opens to reveal the woman, Diane, or whatever her real name is. She smiles at him, a fake smile that makes Finch want to punch her, despite his aversion for violence.

 

“Sit. We’re going to begin and you’re the guest of honor.”


	6. Chapter 6

Finch wishes that he had asked John to teach him a few things about resisting to physical torture. He is not used to getting manhandled or punched. He is restrained now; his wrists bound tightly to the chair.

 

“You do realize Hersh is going easy on you right now, but things will get ugly if you don’t start talking.”

“I don’t know anything about Samaritan. I had no idea it existed until I saw Arthur today… yesterday.”

“Very well.”

 

One look to Hersh and her employee sends his fist flying to his face. This one is even harder than the one before that. The woman walks slowly towards Finch and bends her knees a little so that they are now at eye level.

 

“Tell me about your Machine. Where can I find it?”

 

__

 

They park the car a block away from the building they’re about to break into. For a moment, none of them speak. Outside, it’s still very dark but the sun will be up in a few hours. Shaw checks her phone and sees that she missed four calls from Fusco. Hastily, she texts him the address of the government’s secret bunker and goes to open the trunk of the car.

 

“We’re going to have to choose which weapons to take with us. There is no way we are carrying bags inside. It’s the dead of the night; normally there are only the security guards. Maybe a few employees.”

 

She rummages through the bag and finally finds what she’s looking for: guns with silencers.

 

“We need to make as little noise as possible. We don’t want to have the police here. In and out as quickly as possible. You follow my lead unless the Machine warns you.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“Once we are underground, there will be one long corridor equipped with cameras. But if we take left at the end of the corridor, there are none. Only rooms. Interrogation rooms. Finch is likely in one of those.”

“What about the other man?”

 

Shaw shakes her head.

 

“We’ll do what we can, but Finch is our priority. We’re getting him out, no matter what.”

“Got it.”

Once they are both armed to the teeth, Root slams the trunk shut and locks the car. Side by side, the two women take the direction of the building.

 

“I don’t care what the Machine says; we are not taking any risk and that means we kill anyone that could be a threat. Only spare the guards but make sure they can’t call for help. They’ll draw their weapon as soon as they see you, so you’ll have to find a plausible lie for them to let you in. Anyone else in the way, you shoot. Anyone aiming a gun at you, you shoot first.”

 

Root listens intently and nods once Shaw is done with her instructions. She feels very much in she’s the lead actress in an action movie and Shaw’s solder-like attitude only reinforces the idea. Just before they turn right to make it to the building, Shaw grabs Root’s arm and makes her stop. For a moment, she hesitates before she finally says:

 

“Thank you. For what you’re doing tonight. I know you don’t have to.”

 

Root smiles as if Shaw just told her the cutest thing ever.

 

“I told you I was here to help. I haven’t changed my mind.”

 

They hold each other’s look for a few seconds before Shaw nods firmly once, and motions for Root to go.

 

“Aim for the shoulders and the knees. We don’t want them using their guns or calling for back-up. You have two minutes. And Root? Shoot the cameras too.”

 

The hacker winks at her and blows her a kiss before she disappears at the corner of the street.

 

__

 

As predicted, entering the building proves to be quite easy. It only takes thirty-six seconds for Root to immobilize the two guards at the entrance with well-placed bullets. The woman at the reception is not so lucky. Root doesn’t check if she had time to push the red button she knows is under her desk. With the silencers on her guns, the woman probably did not even hear her come in. Instead, with an apologetic smiles to the camera fixed on the right wall, Root fires her gun once more. Then she hides in the shadow and waits for Shaw to join her. The place is deserted and she briefly wonders why the government is not more careful if this is one of their black sites. She realizes that someone else has entered the building just one second before Shaw appears in front of her.  

 

“You ought to be more careful,” Shaw says with something that resembles a teasing tone.

“You ought to be less discreet.”

“Not happening. Ever. Alright let’s move.”

 

They reach the elevator and Shaw presses the down button.

 

“The elevator will probably open on the corridor, get ready to shoot. The less time we lose the more chances we have to leave this building alive. I’ve already been in a body bag and it is not a pleasant experience.”

“The Machine tells me that there are three guards. Standing position. One on the left, two on the right.”

 

The elevator stops with a barely audible noise and the doors open. They don’t lose any time. The third guard has a hand on his gun but does not have time to draw it before he’s down on the ground with a bullet in his head. Shaw turns to look at Root incredulously but the hacker merely shrugs and shoots the cameras.

 

“You said to shoot anyone in my way. They were in my way.”

 

__

 

Fusco’s phone beeps once, signaling a text message. He opens it and John studies his expression.

 

“What?”

“It’s Shaw. She gave me an address. Reminds you of anything?”

 

John takes the phone from his hand and frowns.

 

“Vaguely. Heard of it, never been there.”

“What is it?”

“A black site.”

 

Neither of them speaks for a while. They both know the implication. They both know that this is where criminals are taken to be tortured. Criminals or people like Finch, people with valuable information.

 

“If Shaw gave us the address, it means they’re there. They’ll get him out.”

“How long before we land?”

“Thirty-five minutes.”

“We’re going to be too late.”

 

__

 

“It’s in your best interest to start talking.”

 

Finch takes quick, shallow breaths and coughs some blood. It’s a miracle that he still has all of his teeth, really. At least Hersh took his glasses off before the beating started. The interrogation has begun almost an hour ago but he doesn’t know how long it’s going to last, or how long _he_ is going to last.

 

“I know that you’re the one who built the Machine. I remember Nathan Ingram. I knew he’d never be able to do something like that on his own.”

 

He remains unresponsive and clearly she thought he’d be easier to break.

 

“Where is it?!” She yells.

“Somewhere you’ll never find it. To tell you the truth…”

 

He makes sure to look her in the eye as he speaks his next word.

 

“Even _I_ don’t know where it is now.”

 

__

 

Silently, as if they have been working together for years, Shaw and Root check every room but they’re all empty. There are only five doors left to open. The next one is locked and Shaw turns to Root.

 

“You said you got out of the cage by picking the lock? Show me. I’ll cover you.”

 

Shaw takes position right behind Root with her gun drawn. If there is anyone in the room, they take the risk of getting shot but none of the other doors were locked. Although she reasons that if there is a guard, he’d be out already to see who tried to turn the doorknob, or at least ask for identification. Sure enough, Root manages to unlock the door and Shaw slips in front of her while she opens it wide.

 

The room is empty except for one chair in the middle. On the chair is sitting Arthur Claypool.

 


	7. Chapter 7

The private jet has barely come to a stop when Reese jumps out of his seat and hurries toward the exit. Fusco follows a few seconds later after struggling with his seatbelt. Outside, a car is waiting for them. John is already behind the wheel when Lionel slides into the passenger seat.

 

“How many miles from here to the black site?”

“Fifteen, we got lucky that this landing strip was clear for the jet.”

“Perfect. We’ll be there in just as many minutes.”

“You do realize that we only have my gun and that we have no idea how many people we’re going to run into, right?”

 

John’s silence is frightening. He is ready to walk right into the lion’s den without a plan or without a weapon. Fusco has no doubt that his hands are just as lethal as a gun, but he is not bulletproof. The detective sighs and looks out the window as they leave the private airport behind.

 

__

 

“Arthur?”

 

He looks up, frightened.

 

“Please, don’t hurt me, don’t…”

 

He trails off as his gaze shifts from Root to Shaw. Something in his brain must have triggered because his tone changes immediately.

 

“I know you. Don’t I?”

“You do. I’m Harold’s friend. We’re both Harold’s friends,” Shaw replies as softly as she can. “We’re going to get you out of here, alright?”

 

He nods feverishly and Shaw takes a pocket knife out of her left boot. She cuts the rope around his wrists and helps him get up.

 

“Arthur, do you know where they took Harold?”

“No, they—who are these people? They want Samaritan but I can’t give Samaritan to them.”

 

Root’s head shots up at the mention of Samaritan but she hides her surprise very quickly. Shaw notices, though, and she makes a mental note to ask her about it later, if later ever comes.

 

“We will discuss all of this later, Arthur, but right now I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

 

Shaw places her hands on his shoulders and looks him in the eye.

 

“You are going to leave this place but we can’t come with you, we need to find Harold first.”

“Okay.”

“There is a car parked one block away from here. Take the elevator, exit the building and turn left. Then keep walking until you reach the next block and turn left. You’ll find a grey Camry parked in this alley. The keys…”

 

She turns to Root who hands her the keys. Then she places them in Claypool’s hands.

 

“The keys are here. Once you’re in the car, you wait fifteen minutes. If after fifteen minutes we are not out, you drive away.”

“But… where?”

“Anywhere you want. You’re not safe here anymore. If we want to find you, we will. Just… enjoy the time you have left, okay?”

 

Arthur takes Shaw’s hands in his and squeezes them hard. She does her best not to look uncomfortable but she doesn’t step back.

 

“We need to go,” Root intervenes.

 

Once they make sure that the way is clear, they send Arthur to the elevator and wait until the door closes on him before heading back toward the other doors. Behind one of them is Finch.

 

__

 

The moment Finch says the words, he wishes he hadn’t. The look on his captor’s face is truly frightening, and he doesn’t have time to see the slap coming as she backhands him, hard. Almost as hard as Hersh’s punches.

 

“I don’t like people who make me lose my time,” she spits in his face as she takes a handful of his hair and yanks his head back.

 

Finch doesn’t answer but he doesn’t look away either when she tries to stare him down. After a full minute, the woman steps back and turns to Hersh.

 

“We’ll pick up in the morning. Leave him here and lock the door. Make sure no one comes into this room.”

 

Hersh nods once, still as impassive as ever. Then his boss moves to open the door and Finch finally lets his head fall down. But they don’t leave the room. From the corner of his eyes, Harold can see that Hersh is still standing behind the woman he keeps calling “Ma’am”. And then, there’s a voice. A voice Harold should remember but his brain is too foggy to process what is happening.

 

“Hands up. Step back.”

 

His two captors do as they are told and Harold finally gets to see the person who has come to his rescue. His eyes widen in recognition.

 

“Miss Shaw? Miss Groves?”

“Hey Harold, how’re you doing?” Shaw asks as she never takes her eyes off Hersh.

 

Meanwhile, Root is smiling at “Diane” and has her two guns aimed at her.

 

“Root?” Shaw asks.

“Yes?”

“Make sure Hersh here doesn’t do anything stupid. I’m going to untie Harold, and we’re going to leave. If you try to stop us, you die,” she adds as she looks at her former superior.

 

He simply looks at her. If he is surprised to see her alive, he doesn’t show it. Not that she had expected him to, anyway. She keeps her gun in her hand as she moves slowly toward Finch. Root now has one gun aimed at Hersh while the other is still directed at the woman. Quickly, Shaw uses the knife in her boot to set Finch free. Then she helps him get up but the man can barely stand.

 

“Alright Finch, we’re going to walk out of here and Root will cover for us.”

“I never thought you’d start working for the enemy, agent Shaw.”

 

To her credit, Shaw does not even spare a glance to the woman.

 

“Next time think twice before trying to kill your own agents. Root? Let’s go.”

 

But before they can take another step, the radio on Hersh’s hip starts crackling. He raises an eyebrow at Shaw, who frowns. They have neutralized every guard they’ve encountered.

 

“Take it. Slowly. Root will put a bullet in your head if you try anything.”

 

Hersh doesn’t try anything, he’s too cautious for that. He simply takes the radio and says:

 

“Say again?”

 

No answer comes and time freezes for a second. No one knows what to do next. Shaw wants to leave but if there are other people outside they will probably be outnumbered. Clearly, Control thinks that they have back-up on the way.

 

“This is Peter Collier. I know you’re detaining two men I am very interested in questioning. Let them both out unharmed and unescorted, and we’ll avoid a bloodbath.”

 

__

 

John hits the brakes when he spots a car parked in a dark alley. He goes into reverse and stops.

 

“This car.”

“What about it?” Fusco asks.

“There’s a man sitting inside. What’s he doing?”

 

Fusco takes a decision. He opens the door and gets out of the car, a hand on his gun and the other reaching for his badge.

 

“NYPD,” he yells, “get out of the car.”

 

The man inside of the car seems startled and definitely scared. He does as he is told without opposing any resistance. Behind him, Fusco hears the car slowly come to a stop. John shuts the engine off but leaves the headlights on.

 

“Please don’t shoot! I didn’t do anything wrong. The women, they told me to take the car! They told me to wait for them. It’s only been five minutes!”

 

John hurries past Fusco and takes the man by his shoulders.

 

“What women? Who are you?”

“My name is Arthur Claypool, and I was kidnapped by some people. They have my friend, too. But then the doctor came to save me. I think she’s not a doctor. She had a gun. And the other lady too.”

“He doesn’t make any sense,” Fusco says.

“Actually Lionel, I think he does. Those women; you said they told you to wait in this car?”

“Yes sir, yes, they said fifteen minutes and then I go.”                                   

“Go where?”

“Anywhere! But they have Harold. I don’t—I don’t want to leave my friend!”

“Harold? Harold with the glasses?” Fusco asks.

 

John has already let go of the man and walked past him, toward the trunk. If Shaw is here with Root and that they have guns, they probably…

 

“Left some behind. Just what I needed.”

 

Reese picks up two sub-machine guns and tucks a pistol in his back pocket. Then he slams the trunk shut and walks back to where Fusco and Claypool are still talking.

 

“Lionel, take our car and get him to safety. If they took him along with Finch, that means they want something from him. You’re in charge.”

“Where are you—what are you doing with these?!”

“I’m going in.”

 

Suddenly they hear tires screeching and doors slamming. Orders are shouted. John and Lionel share a look.

 

“Go. Take him with you.”

 

Reese looks behind him and spots the ladder on the building next to the one he wants to enter.

 

“Fusco, you know New-York better than anyone else. Make sure no one can find you. And give me your phone.”

 

The detective understands the urgency of the situation because he does not protest. He ushers Arthur into his car, hands his phone to Reese and wishes him good luck, before he starts the engines and gets out of the alley at high speed. John sighs and discreetly takes a look at the street. The cars that just arrived are empty and no one is in sight. He has no idea how many people are inside. Feverishly, he dials Shaw’s number and waits.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Shaw’s eyes never leave Hersh. Finch is still heavily leaning on her and her left shoulder is a little numb from the weight. She thinks about Arthur who has probably made it to the car by now. Collier just said that they want both Harold and Arthur out, which means that they haven’t found him yet. It’s a good thing. Their current situation is quite the opposite. They are surrounded.

 

“What do you know about Vigilance?”

“No more than you do,” Hersh replies, his voice deep and steady.

“They are terrorists,” Shaw’s former boss adds.

 

Shaw wants to ask more questions but all of a sudden she feels her phone vibrating in her pocket. Swiftly she pulls it out, checks the ID and answers.

 

“Lionel?”

“Not really. Are you in the building?”

 

Her expression remains unchanged even though she’s deeply surprised to hear John on the phone.

 

“Yes. All clear inside but Vigilance is out there. Where are you?”

“Vigilance? That explains the cars…”

“Are you here?”

“I am. Do you have Finch?”

“I do. But we’re trapped inside with Hersh and the head of Control. Or what I suppose is the head of Control.”

“Any chance you can make it to the roof?”

 

Her mind reviews every exit and she simply says:

 

“Yes. How are the odds?”

“Three cars outside.”

“Collier’s here. He asked for the release of Finch and Arthur. Arthur is—“

“I know who he is, we’ve met. I sent him away with Fusco.”

“Good.”

“Shaw? I’m going to clear the way for you on the roof in case Vigilance has men up there. Then I’ll wait for you.”

“Copy that.”

 

She hangs up first. Root looks at her briefly, questions in her eyes.

 

“We are going to leave this room and lock the door. Root, cover for me while I take Finch to the roof.”

“Aren’t they going to use both the elevator and the stairs to come down here?”

“Trust me; I know what I’m doing.”

 

__

 

John is already climbing the ladder to the roof while he speaks with Shaw on the phone. When she hangs up, he gauges the distance between where he stands and the roof he wants to land on. It’s risky and he has absolutely no idea how they are all going to make it back to this roof later. Shaw can undoubtedly jump as high and as far as he can, but what about Finch? Even though he could care less for Root, she’s apparently saved them tonight; could she jump over a gap like this?

 

 _Alright, less thinking and more acting, John,_ he scolds himself.

 

Reese steps back to gain momentum and runs as fast as he can. At the last second, when he feels half of his right foot dangling over the edge, he jumps. The landing is rough and he rolls on the roof abruptly. It takes him a few seconds to catch his breath and regain his composure. Then he grabs the two sub-machine guns that he’s thrown before jumping and moves toward the door. Hopefully, Shaw will manage to get Harold out of here.

 

__

 

“Alright let’s move,” Shaw orders after she puts the phone back into her pocket.

 

Finch looks a little more alert than before. He is finally able to stand on his own two feet. Shaw keeps her gun on Hersh as she walks backward toward the door, her body protecting Harold. Root does not make a move.

 

“Root?”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

 

Shaw doesn’t wait any longer; she trusts that Root has her back. Quickly, she spins on her heels and takes Finch by his elbow to pull him along.

 

“Miss Shaw, how did you manage to—“

“Root. She found me right after you left. We tracked you down here. We’re going to have a little bit of a work out now.”

 

They reach the main corridor and after making sure that the way is clear, Shaw kicks the first door on her left open. Finch takes a look at what seems to be a storage room but he doesn’t see how it will help them escape. By the time he turns back to Shaw, Root has caught up with them. She smiles at him and he offers a half-smile in return. After all, she did save his employee and himself. Shaw closes the door behind them and with Root’s help they push the shelf against it.

 

“This will only hold them off for a few minutes.”

 

Shaw walks past Finch and kneels down toward the plate hiding the pipe of the ventilation system.

 

“I hope none of you is claustrophobic. I’ll go first, then Harold, then you,” she says as her eyes meet Root’s.

“Miss Shaw…”

“This is not open to discussion Finch. Let’s go. John is waiting for us on the roof.”

 

__

 

“How exactly is this going to lead us to the roof?” Harold whispers as he crawls as best as he can after Shaw.

 

Before she can answer, gunshots are fired. Harold’s head jerks up in surprise and hits the pipe. Root lets a chuckle escape and Finch resists the urge to kick her a little since she’s right behind him.

 

“We’re almost there. We have to hurry, they’re going to figure out what we did and they probably already know we’re heading for the roof.”

“Then where…”

 

Finch does not finish his sentence. Shaw has kicked another plate down and somehow managed to catch it before it hits the floor.

 

“Where are we?”

“Shhh… Under the elevator.”

 

He gulps audibly and if they weren’t in such a predicament, maybe Shaw would have smiled.

 

“Don’t worry Finch, we’ve got your back,” she whispers. “Now, you’re going to have to wait here.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just stay here.”

 

And with that, she disappears into semi-darkness, leaving a questioning Finch and Root behind.

 

__

 

Shaw manages to get up under the elevator. There is very little space between the wall and the metallic car, but it’s enough for her. Then, with her back flat against the elevator, she lifts one leg and presses it hard against the wall. Once she’s steady, she does the same with her other leg. She is now literally sitting in the air. Slowly but surely, she makes her way up, then she pushes on her legs and does a backward roll to be on top of the elevator. She sighs, thankful that the elevator didn’t start to lift, and opens the trapdoor swiftly. No bullet comes her way; there is actually no sound at all. She wonders where Vigilance is now. If the doors open on the corridor, she’s as good as dead. Her phone buzzes once. She pulls it out and reads the text message that John just sent to her.

 

_“Roof is clear. Where are you? Coming to help.”_

 

She types a quick response, asking him to make sure they can get off the elevator without getting shot at the last floor. Then she hears gunshots again, and they’re coming her way.

 

“Harold! Harold!” she whispers hurriedly.

 

His head pokes out of the pipe.

 

“Get up here, hurry up!”

“How am I supposed to do that, Miss Shaw?”

 

Ungracefully, he manages to get up and moves to the side to let Root out of the pipe as well. The hacker replaces the plate behind her.

 

“Root is going to give you a leg up and you’ll take my hand. I’ll help you up.”

“Are you sure?”

“We don’t have much of a plan, in case you haven’t noticed.”

 

His face is still burning from all the punches and slaps he received earlier and he’s positive that the exercise is only going to make it spin even more. But Root is already in position, offering her hands for him to use as a step.

 

“Ready?” Shaw asks.

“Ready,” they both answer.

 

__

 

Reese is barely within reach of the door handle when he hears footsteps coming up. Immediately, he flattens himself against the wall. From what he can discern, there are at least three men but nothing he can’t handle, especially with the weapons that he has. The door opens in a loud crash and orders are shouted. Reese shoots the first man easily and turns around just in time to take a second man down. He doesn’t hear the third man. He should, because the ground is made of gravel. So he points his gun upwards and waits. He waits for nearly a minute but he is not at all surprised when a man’s face and a gun appear above him. Without blinking, he fires the gun.

 

“Well, that went well.”

 

He doesn’t stick around to see the man’s blood and brain repaint the wall. John checks the whole roof and the staircase before he pulls out Fusco’s phone from his pocket and sends a text message to Shaw. There is no way he’s risking to call her; it could give away her position. Her replies come within a minute and he starts to go downstairs.

 

__

 

Hauling Harold on top of the elevator is no easy task and it takes Shaw a lot of strength, but ultimately, with a little help from Root, she manages to grab his belt and pulls him to her. She pretends not to notice when he winces. Surely his boxer shorts or whatever got a little tight for a few seconds.

 

“Take this,” she says as she gives him her gun. “Get inside; fire immediately if the doors open.”

 

This time he does not protest despite his aversion of firearms and he carefully lets himself fall into the metallic car. The carpet floor makes his landing smoother than it should have been. Shaw then extends her arm to Root and asks her to use her legs to push against the elevator’s wall. Root proves to be remarkably flexible and it doesn’t take long for her to land on Shaw’s side. She smiles that little weird smile and then slides into the car next to Harold. Shaw follows immediately, then she sends another text to Reese as she presses the button of the elevator that indicates the twelfth floor as the last.

 

“Here we go.”

 

__

 

Reese’s blood pounds in his temples and his heart beats wildly in his chest as he waits in the shadows for the elevator to open. Two men are lying on the ground next to him, dead. Somewhere in the building, people are firing guns and Reese wonders who the hell Vigilance is shooting at if Shaw and Root already took down the guards in the building. Maybe Control’s back-up has arrived but he has no idea how this is possible. He doesn’t have time to further think about it because a brief sound signals that the elevator is coming to a stop. The doors open and he is met with three guns aiming at him. Holding these guns, two familiar faces and behind them, his employer, Harold Finch.

 

__

 

Shaw lets her arm fall at her side as soon as she spots Reese. The tall man hurries toward them and without so much as a look; he goes right for Finch and starts checking his injuries.

 

“Mind if we step out of the elevator, John?” Shaw asks in a bored tone.

“We must hurry,” Finch adds as he swats John’s hands away from his face.

 

Shaw leads the way, closely followed by Finch and Reese. Root is behind as usual; she takes the time to place one of the men’s bodies between the doors of the elevator to make sure it will not go back down if someone tries to call it. Finally, they emerge on the rooftop and Reese barricades the door with one of his sub-machine guns.

 

“Alright, we just need to make it to the other roof, climb down the ladder and—“

 

He stops mid-sentence as he looks down to the alley where the car was parked.

 

“No. No, no, no. The car. Where’s the car?”

“Mister Reese!” a voice calls.

 

Frantically, they all look around to try and see where it comes from. Without a word exchanged, Shaw, Root and Reese are back to back while Finch stands in the middle, between their bodies. They are the soldiers; he is the person they need to protect, the one that needs to make it out alive.

 

“This is Peter Collier. There is no way you are leaving this place alive unless you give us your employer. It’s only a matter of time before my men break that door, and I have back-up on the way. We already have Control under control… No pun intended,” he adds.

 

There is no way out. If Vigilance spots the ladder on the opposite wall and somehow make it to the next building, they’ll kill them. Suddenly, as they all think they are trapped, a noise that resembles greatly to a helicopter’s propellers appears out of nowhere. The commotion down on the street tells Reese that this is not the back-up that Collier was expecting. Maybe Fusco gave the alert or something.

 

The helicopter comes into view and a ladder falls right in front of Shaw. They all look up; trying to find any clue regarding where it may come from, but it’s too dark to see anything. The heads that sticks out of the door though, Reese and Shaw would recognize it anywhere.

 

“Come on my dear friends! I have plenty of space in here.”

“You’ll kill us if we go up there,” Reese yells back.

“Don’t you want to take your chances? If you stay on this roof, you will die. Come with me and we’ll find a way to avoid any unnecessary deaths.”

 

The ladder is now within reach. Shaw extends her hand that is not holding the gun and grabs it. Then she turns to John and raises her eyebrows. Behind them, Vigilance must have found something heavy to kick down the door because it looks like it won’t hold much longer.

 

“John?”

“I don’t like this.”

“Our odds are better in this helicopter than on this roof.”

“Fine,” he snaps suddenly. “You go first.”

 

Shaw nods and starts climbing the ladder, followed by Root. Gunshots are fired from the street as Vigilance tries to take down the helicopter. Someone in the helicopter fires back to cover for them while they climb the ladder. Just as Reese steps on the first bar, he hears the door behind him finally breaking and he turns around to shoot. There is no kneecapping tonight; he fires wherever he can and the bullets often find the chests of his enemies.

 

“Go!” he yells.

 

Shaw and Root are already inside, and Finch is almost there. The helicopter gains altitude quickly as Reese keeps firing the gun until he knows he is out of bullets’ reach. Then he resumes his climbing and a few seconds later, despite the speed of the helicopter and the wind that makes his eyes water, he finds himself looking up to the man who came to their rescue.

 

His white hair is shining in the moonlight and, with a smile, he extends his hand to help John up.

 

“Hello Mister Reese. So great to see you again. Welcome to Decima Technologies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! I hope you enjoyed the story. I know it ends on quite the cliffhanger, especially knowing what really happens on the show, but this was written a year ago, so...


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